"You don't know how you're doing it?"
"No blueprints. No training. No mad scientist origin story. Just me," Marcus replied. "Started about two years ago. Barely noticeable at first. Then food started tasting better. Fresher. Longer shelf life. Now? It's... like this." Yeah, Marcus had decided to bullshit his way out of this. Since he was going to use Tony, he needed to lay out some of his cards.
"You understand how rare this is? You're enhancing things on a molecular level. Quietly. Precisely. And most terrifying of all—casually." Tony said. He didn't understand how Marcus was doing this and he wouldn't even intrude about this ability of his.
He just gave it an evaluation.
"I didn't ask for it," Marcus said. "I just don't want to waste it."
Tony nodded, slowly. The respect in his eyes wasn't forced—it was earned.
"You've got something real here, Marcus. Not just talent. A gift. And gifts like this?" He looked back toward the hallway, where Happy was still snoring. "They don't stay secret forever." Tony could tell that he was hiding his ability from the world. No wonder he didn't want to move to LA and just work on the truck.
If money was all he wanted, he could have gotten it easily, but it was more than just money for him at this point. His secrets were important and thus working in a food truck was fine enough. Though he would have loved to look inside his body and find out the secrets, he would never do so. It was the same for his own armor.
He might share his secrets only when he trusted someone enough. Pepper and Happy could be trusted but they would never understand what was exactly going on inside the armor, only he could. The same might be applied to Marcus.
Of course, these were thoughts of Tony and Marcus would be delighted to know if hew knew the thoughts of Tony.
"You don't really think I am the prey here? Do you?" Marcus smiled but the smile was enough to tell Tony that he had enough ability to protect himself. That smile spoke confidence and it was enough for Tony to understand that his ability wasn't just bounded to food exclusively.
"Fair enough. But if you ever want answers—real ones—I've got more than biometric readers. I've got labs. People. Resources."
"Maybe someday," Marcus said. "Right now, I've got dishes to do."
"Alright, chef. But I swear, if you ever open a restaurant? I'm buying the first ten tables."
Marcus just shrugged. "You better eat light next time. I'm thinking dessert." Marcus grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, handing one to Tony as they stepped out into the evening air. The Greenpoint street was quiet, only a soft hum of traffic in the distance, and the occasional clink of wind chimes from the next yard over.
Tony leaned against the porch railing, bottle dangling loosely in one hand.
"So," he said. "How'd you know?"
"Know what?" Marcus was confused as he didn't understand what Tony meant.
"The poisoning," Tony said. "Palladium. In my bloodstream. Not a whole lot of people on Earth—or beyond—know that. And yet, you handed me that bottle like you'd read my medical file."
Marcus looked out at the sidewalk, then back at Tony. There was no real point denying it.
"You didn't cover it well," he said calmly. "Most people wouldn't notice. But there were these faint black lines creeping up your neck. You'd been hiding them under that high-collar shirt, but they showed through once. I looked it up, found some medical cases. Took a guess."
"Not bad for a guy who 'barely passed algebra,'" Tony quoted.
"Guess I care more than most."
He didn't mention that he already knew. That he wasn't exactly from this world. That everything he did—from tweaking food molecules to saving lives—was part of a far bigger reality than what even Stark could imagine.
Tony studied him, but didn't press.
"You need anything? Equipment? Cash flow? Licensing help?"
Marcus shook his head, not even letting him finish. "No thanks. Appreciate it, really. But I'm not doing this for a handout." It's not that Marcus didn't want to touch the suitcase that Tony had brought with him. Yes, he had seen the new Mark V suit, but that didn't mean he would ask for the technology in lieu of upgrades. Not even mentioning the fact that he could upgrade things and not just food.
That wouldn't be helpful in the long run. He was here to make friends. His system might be powerful, but it wasn't god mode for him. He needed people around him and though he didn't have almost anyone to care for in his present life, that didn't mean he would not have anyone in the long run.
Being alone in this godforsaken world was a torture and that he wasn't ready to experience.
"Well, damn," Tony said. "You're better than most of the people I pay seven figures to. And you cook better, too." They both laughed, the air between them lighter now. Soon Happy woke up and thanked Marcus for the amazing food.
"You ever change your mind," he said over his shoulder, "you've got my number."
"I know," Marcus said. "I've got the world's most expensive caller ID now." Tony smirked and slid into the Audi. The door shut with a soft thud. A moment later, the car melted into the quiet evening.
The Next Morning – Greenpoint
The front gate creaked open as Marcus stepped outside to find a yellow cab pulling up in front of Mia's place. He walked up just as the driver opened the back door.
Mia stepped out slowly, cradling a tightly bundled infant to her chest. She looked tired, but there was a quiet strength in her eyes. A nurse from the hospital followed with a small overnight bag and a sealed packet of discharge papers.
"Need a hand?" Marcus asked.